Data Centre Strategy Remains Too Vague on Electricity Prices and Energy Efficiency

• Expansion targets send the right signal for AI and Germany as a business location
• Grid connections and connectivity are finally being addressed
• Electricity prices and investment conditions remain unresolved
• German Energy Efficiency Act significantly vaguer than the January draft
• Blue Angel as a benchmark is impractical

Berlin, 18 March 2026 - The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, under the umbrella of eco - Association of the Internet Industry, welcomes key elements of the German federal government's National Data Centre Strategy, which is set to be adopted by the cabinet today. In particular, the target of doubling data centre capacity by 2030 and quadrupling AI capacity sends an important signal for competitiveness and digital sovereignty from the industry's perspective.

"The strategy sends a clear signal: data centres are key infrastructure for the digital transformation. Now policymakers must deliver, with concrete and reliable framework conditions," says Dr. Béla Waldhauser, Spokesperson for the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany.

The Alliance particularly welcomes the planned acceleration of grid connections and the stronger alignment of data centre site development with the expansion of energy infrastructure. The fact that connectivity and the expansion of telecommunications networks are explicitly addressed as location factors is also an important step, as data centres must be conceived as part of an entire ecosystem of digital infrastructures.

"Without fast connections to the electricity grid and high-performance networks, there will be no expansion. Projects must be prioritised according to the 'first ready, first served' principle; otherwise we will continue to lose time in international competition," says Waldhauser.

At the same time, key location-related issues remain unresolved from the industry's perspective. These include, in particular, competitive electricity prices and reliable investment conditions. Although the strategy identifies the right challenges, it remains vague when it comes to concrete solutions.

"International competitiveness hinges on the price of electricity. Announcements alone are not enough; concrete measures are needed quickly," Waldhauser emphasises.

The Alliance also takes a critical view of the fact that announcements regarding the planned amendment to the German Energy Efficiency Act remain vague. The announcement of "more pragmatic" PUE requirements makes sense in principle, but is less concrete in the strategy text than in the January draft. At that time, it was specifically announced that the targets would in future be based on design PUE rather than operating PUE. How these requirements are to be structured in future remains unclear.

On the topic of waste heat, there is also still a lack of concrete announcements on how the Energy Efficiency Act provisions are to be made more workable in practice. Despite the right approaches, the framework conditions for economic utilisation remain unclear.

"On energy efficiency and waste heat, there is currently a lack of clarity. Without practical requirements, uncertainty arises - and that slows down investment," says Waldhauser.

The Alliance also takes a critical view of the proposed use of the "Blue Angel" being used as a potential benchmark for EU minimum requirements. As a voluntary standard, the Blue Angel has failed to establish itself broadly in the German data centre market due to rigid assessment criteria, making it unsuitable as a regulatory blueprint for EU minimum requirements.

"The Blue Angel is not an industry standard. Outside Germany, it is neither widely recognised nor accepted as an environmental label. Using it as a benchmark for minimum requirements would hinder rather than promote expansion," says Waldhauser.

On the positive side, however, the strategy places greater emphasis on the role of local authorities. They are a decisive factor in terms of land availability, planning permission and public acceptance. In particular, the plan to give host municipalities a greater share of trade tax revenue is a sensible lever in this context.

Conclusion: The Alliance views the strategy as an important political signal with many sound approaches. It will now be crucial to put these into concrete terms swiftly and translate them into investment-friendly framework conditions.

"The direction is right. Now it all comes down to speed and reliability in implementation," Waldhauser concludes.

About the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany

The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany is an association of leading companies in the sector. Founded in 2018 under the umbrella of eco - Association of the Internet Industry, the initiative aims to raise awareness among policymakers and the public of the importance of digital infrastructures for Germany as a business location.